1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing device, an image processing method, and a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, technology called augmented reality (AR) in which an image obtained by imaging a real space is processed and then presented to a user has been receiving attention. In the AR technology, useful information related to a physical object in a real space present in an input image may be inserted into the image and output as an output image, for example. That is, in the AR technology, typically, a large part of the image presented to the user shows the real space, and a part of the image may be processed in accordance with a purpose. Such a characteristic contrasts it with virtual reality in which an entire (or a large part) of the output image is composed using computer graphics (CG). By using the AR technology, for example, advantages such as easy recognition of a situation of the real space by a user or operation support based on the output image may be provided.
In the AR technology, in order to present actually useful information to the user, it is important that a computer accurately recognize a situation of the real space. Therefore, technology aimed at recognizing the situation of the real space, which serves as a basis of the AR technology, has been developed. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-304268 discloses a method of dynamically generating an environment map representing a three-dimensional position of physical objects existing in a real space by applying technology called simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) capable of simultaneously estimating a position and a posture of a camera and a position of a feature point shown in an image of the camera. Further, a basic principle of the SLAM technology using a monocular camera is disclosed in Andrew J. Davison's, “Real-Time Simultaneous Localization and Mapping with a Single Camera,” Proceedings of the 9th IEEE International Conference on Computer Vision Volume 2, 2003, pp. 1403-1410.
Now, information terminals capable of performing enhanced information processing are widely used and users use the information terminals to view various information. An example of the information includes directions. For example, various information, such as table manners, a cooking procedure, a method of manipulating or repairing electrical appliances, or the like, as well as directions of electronic devices, describing a procedure of an operation to be performed in a real space are made in an electronic form and provided to the users via web pages or other applications.